WindsorTecumseh candidates address your concerns on climate change, reconciliation and collaboration

In the lead-up to the federal election,CBC Windsor asked about the issues that matter as you consider which candidate to support.Now, we'vetakenyour concerns to those seeking your vote.

• Federal election FAQ: How to cast your ballot in Windsor-Essex

In the videos below, participating candidates in WindsorTecumseh shared theirviews on three distinct issues: political collaboration, climate change and Indigenous reconciliation.

The questions are based on what you told us throughaninformal online survey that was posted on our website earlier this month.

NOTE: For this project, CBC Windsor extended invites to candidates from parties that received five per cent of the vote or more in the last federal election. The Conservative candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh,Kathy Borrelli, declined to participate.

Not a WindsorTecumsehresident? Check out our interviews with candidates in Windsor Westand Essex.

Here's what the participating candidates had to say in response to the questions:

Ivanka from Windsor says she wishesthere was more honesty and less negativity among political officials in this election.If elected, what is your plan to work with other parties,if at all,to ensure the benefit of voters even those who may not have elected you?

Windsor Tecumseh candidates answer a question about politics

3 years ago

Duration 2:23

Voter Ivanka says she wishes there was more honesty and less negativity among political officials in this election. If elected, what is your plan to work with other parties- if at all - to ensure the benefit of voters even those who may not have elected you?

Cheryl Hardcastlesaid she is committed to working with other parties. She made reference toher work collaborating across the aisle whenserving on Parliamentary committees when she was the MP for WindsorTecumseh from 2015 to 2019.

"No matter what happens, you when you are elected, you serve everyone. You serve all people. And when you keep that in mind, it truly is easier to work collaboratively," she said.

Incumbent Liberal candidate Irek Kusmierczykpointed to his past role onWindsor city council, along with his experience as an MPin helping secure federal support for the region.

"When you take out someone's garbage or you fix someone's road, whether you're orange, blue or red hasnothing to do with it," he said.

"Residents just expect you to get things done, and so that's been my mindset as a member of Parliament, working with all parties, working together with all residents to get things done for this community."

Voter Barbara says she wants an MP who thinks a climate change plan is important.What's one thing you're doing in your personal life to reduce your carbon footprint?

Windsor Tecumseh candidates answer a question about climate change

3 years ago

Duration 2:46

Voter Barbara says she wants an MP who thinks a climate change plan is important. Whats one thing youre doing in your personal life to reduce your carbon footprint?

Hardcastlesaid she puts an environmental lens on everything she does, andmentioned activitiessuch as recycling, composting and replacingher lawnwith native plants.

"I learned about a lot of things to do to reduce my carbon footprint ... when I was on the regional Essex County conservation authority, and when I sat on the Windsor-Essex waste management committee," she said.

Kusmierczyksaid he tries as much as possible to take the train as opposed to flying to Ottawa.

"It allows me to do a lot of work and talk to constituents and connect with constituents while I'm on the train but part of it is to reduce the [carbon] footprint as well," he said.

He also said he isadvocating to bring battery electric vehicle manufacturing to the region.

Voter Pascal says he's most concerned about Indigenous reconciliation in this election. If elected, how do you plan to improve reconciliation efforts in our area?

One of the ways is to ensure thatlocal Indigenous communities are recognized and included, Hardcastle said. She said thataction necessary isoutlined in the recommendations of the Truth and ReconciliationCommission.

"We have to be able to work in partnership," she said. "And when we say nation-to-nation relationships, that means that you are actually consulting and arriving atand envisioning decisions that can be made locally to make a difference in our communities, not coming to them and saying, 'Here's our plan, isthis OK with you?'"

Kusmierczykpointed to education, andsaid that the first assignment he gave the Windsor-Tecumseh LiberalYouth Council was toreadthe Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.

"I think it's very importantnot only to look to government to help us with the path to reconciliation," he said. "Ithink we have to look at ourselves here, and all of us have to chip in as individuals in whatever way we can. And so I've really tried to do that through our youth council. More work needs to be done and it's something we're absolutely committed to doing here," he said.

Windsor Tecumseh candidates answer a question about Indigenous reconciliation

3 years ago

Duration 2:45

Voter Pascal says he's most concerned about Indigenous reconciliation in this election. If elected, how do you plan to improve reconciliation efforts in our area?

A look at WindsorTecumseh

The following candidates are running in WindsorTecumseh in the 2021 election:

• Liberal: Irek Kusmierczyk (incumbent).
• NDP: Cheryl Hardcastle.
• Conservative: Kathy Borrelli.
• People's Party of Canada: Victor Green.
• Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada: Laura Chesnik.
• Green Party: Henry Oulevey.

WindsorTecumseh has a population of117,429 as of the 2016 census, and there are95,668 registered voters.

In the last federal election, Kusmierczyk, who was then a Windsor city councillor, defeatedNDP incumbent Hardcastle.

WindsorTecumseh was created in2004 from the ridingknown asWindsorSt. Clair. At the time the riding was created and up until 2015,it was represented by theNDP's Joe Comartin, who was first elected in 2000.